Diabetes Resolutions for the New Year

New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, which means it’s almost time to make those resolutions. And what better a time to get off to a fresh start with some of your diabetes management routines than at the dawn of a new year?

To help improve your health, the renowned Joslin Diabetes Center has come up with some examples of diabetes-specific resolutions you can commit to in the coming year. In keeping with the “SMART” method of goal setting, the resolutions are “specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time-limited.”

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Examples of goals for the year are having an annual eye exam, getting a flu shot in the fall, and getting a kidney function and microalbumin test each year. Examples of goals you can set for yourself each day include examining your feet for cuts and sores, brushing and flossing your teeth, and taking your diabetes medicines.

For more examples of diabetes resolutions for the new year, click here.

Happy New Year!

This blog entry was written by Web Editor Diane Fennell.

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Neel

I was diagnosed with type II diabetes in 2010 and I was prescribed Metformin 1 gr daily with fasting glucose 161 and PP 201. I continued the medicine for 3 months continuously and my sugar became very much normal. I was advised to reduce the dose to 500 mg daily then gradually 250 mg daily and after a year or more i stopped the medicine. I used to monitor my glucose level and it was very much normal with A1C level < 6 . But this year again my glucose level gone up and my doctor prescribed Metformin 1.5 gr daily. I am still continuing the medicine with no major side effect. How long should I continue the same dose of Metformin? My glucose level is very much normal.

Cathriya Penny

Dear Neel,

I am a board certified educator in “advanced diabetes management” (BC-ADM)and have been managing and teaching diabetes for quite some time. I am appalled at your doctor’s initial advice to taper off Metformin, essentially the diabetic treatment. Anyone who understands the underlying pathophysiology of diabetes is, the gradual pancreatic beta cell exhaustion with insulin release, insulin resistance and increased liver glucose production due to perhaps unopposed continuous glucagon production. Your A1C was below 6%, which was likely due to Metformin and a whole host of other lifestyle changes. However, lifestyle changes alone are NOT going to make diabetes disappear. I would recommend you to check out a 3-minute video from this web site called “betacellsindiabetes.org” and a whole bunch of type 2 diabetes short videos from youtube. These animated videos do increase your understanding of the relationship between glucose and insulin, and where glucose comes from. I emphasize the understanding of the science of diabetes first, then people will understand why they need to do what they must FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. Diabetes is NOT confined to overweight and obese people. I have many “skinny, tooth-pick like and chop-stick like” diabetic patients. Furthermore, diabetes is not only confined to type 1 and type 2. There are something in-between, called “late autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA)” and “mature onset of diabetes in youth (MODY)”. This diabetes self-management web site has also devoted a number of online articles on the different types of diabetes. Once you understand what type you are, and perhaps why, you will accept the diagnosis and management with hope and confidence.

– Advocate for understanding the science of diabetes (my screen name)

Carol

Hi, I have been type 2 for about 12yrs. My sugar has remained stable and I do take 1500m of metformin. I am relatively careful with my food intake and have maintained a1/c of 6.0-6.7. Right now it is 6.4. My eye exam showed no signs of diabetes. The Dr. mentioned that it was because of good sugar control.
I see mentions of reversal of diabetes, which might be a myth. My a.m. sugar test has gone up to 121-157 at the highest. Then it goes down to 107 after I have been up for awhile. I am 78yrs old. My question is:does my sugar level have anything to do with age?…and can it be reversed?

Thanks, Carol

shelia

I had diabetes since 1999 from taking steriods for multipes sclerosis at 1ST had normal diabetes under control than diabetes got out of control my endro told me he would help gain 40lb on 5ft body sais i could gain as much weight as long as diabetes was under control well that didnt fly with me so i tried solutions on my own told him i would see him when i got it under control my primary was not happy about problem ,so now i have under control its just different,in morning glucose is in 50’s,60’s i can exercise until 90’s than i have to take 1 unit of inslin than i may keep going ,if higher must take unslin before i exercise if i eat anything in morning exercise or not must take insulin and metformin in evening i may exercise or eat if blood sugar is normal w/out taking anything at night if exercise to after 10-11pm glucose goes up hga1c was 5.9 my last visit to my specialist was bs was to low i told her it toke my a year to control my bs,now i’m having a hard time taking off the 40lbs i gain because of my ms if i become to hot i have bad musle spasms,so i’m ging to try low carb with less meat ,more vegetables and fish or should i count calories or both, please help?

Diane Fennell

Hi Carol,

Thanks for your questions. It’s possible that your elevated morning glucose levels may be due to either the dawn phenomenon (very high blood glucose in the early morning due to the release of certain hormones in the middle of the night) or the Somogyi effect (rebound high blood glucose in response to low blood glucose during the night). If your blood glucose level is normal around 3 AM, it may be the dawn phenomenon; if it is low at 3 AM, it may be the Somogyi effect. You should should speak with your health-care team about the best way to control your morning blood glucose levels.

With regard to reversing diabetes, you may be interested in this piece by blogger David Spero.

Thank you for your interest in Diabetes Self-Management!

Sincerely,
Diane Fennell
Web Editor

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